Springtime Stroll at Swan Lake

Okay, so there's something about spring on Vancouver Island. Maybe it's the weather: we get so much rain the entire town has to converge outside when it's actually sunny. Or maybe it's something more sadistic, like the fact that we're secretly proud we have flowers when our Ontario friends are still shovelling snow. Or perhaps it's just due to the fact that deep down, we're all a bunch of fresh-air seeking, flower-picking, duck-feeding hippies. Or something like that.

Either way, after two days of steady rain and a few more of general miserableness, it was no wonder that the Galloping Goose Trail and adjacent Swan Lake were teeming with activity. The variety of people were endless: hardcore bikers alongside an elderly couple holding hands, laughing toddlers cutting in front of smooching pre-teens. Heck, we even saw a girl wandering around in nothing but a bra and panties, shooting a highschool movie.

With a thirst for Vitamin D, my boyfriend Noel and I decided that a short meander would be great. Armed with a camera each, we turned right off of Quadra Street and down the paved, winding Galloping Goose Trail. Sixty kilometeres long and named after a passenger car that used the now-abandoned CNR railline, the Galloping Goose is visted by nearly 150,000 people a year. It runs through Saanich, Victora, Langford, Colwood, View Roayl, Sooke and Metchosin.

We weren't going that far. After crossing the abandoned tressle ("Slippery if Wet" - well, it wasn't today!), we zipped over Saanich Road and made a right onto another trail. This one was unpaved.

Swan Lake. A nature reserve in the heart of Saanich, it even has it's own nature house. The lake offers spectacular views, a fabulous loop trail, great birdwatching, and a feeling that hey, maybe you're not in the middle of a big city after all. I especially love this. Deep along the trail, you can't hear cars on McKenzie Avenue. All you can see is a place bursting with nature - soft reeds whistling in the wind, or a sharp cry of a jay.

On a mission to bring back news of spring to Noel's Ontario parents, our eyes were especially keen to the signs. "Look!" Noel cried, pointing through the trail and off the beaten path. "There's something for you."

A patch of wild daffodils sat starkly among the snow-flattened reeds. Ignoring the sign to stick to the path, I tromped through the reeds (silently begging they weren't concealing any marsh water) and took a photograph. On my way back, Noel motioned me to stop again; there was a snake ahead of me, and another on my shoe. Ah, spring. Nature's wonders.

We wandered past the nature house, stopping to read an announcement that says Bird Walks are starting up again, Wednesdays at 9am. I watched some kids chase a disgruntled male mallard duck, wanting to feed it but wanting more to touch it's soft, waterproof feathers. I found more flowers, in reds and purples and golds. And an American Coot duck, whose silver beak and red eyes would dissapear for a few moments as it dove to find sweet vegetation under the marsh. After reaching the boardwalk - a spectacular moment where you walk on top of the lake itself - we decided to turn around and head back home.

Besides our time, this hour-long stroll cost us nothing. In return, I got a lot of what I expected from a walk - excersise, good photographs, sunshine - but I also got something else. Even though it's the last week of school and I'm up to my neck in final assignments, I found I was able to calm myself. And this sense of calmness lasted well-beyond our ascent from the lake paradise onto the busy McKenzie road. Maybe it was the vitamin D, but I think perhaps the little birds and flowers worked their way into my heavy mind and left me just a little bit of light. Either way, hearing the noise of the cars was a disappointing shock. I'll have to go back on the next bright day.

Besides, it was a great date walk. Seriously.

Let the sun shine in, baby!

Exams: Better On a Full Stomach

Augh. Just around the corner, post-secondary students from everywhere are about to be bombarded with final assignments. Whether it's a ten page essay, a play performance, a movie shoot or a plethora of exams, research shows that you will do a better job on a full stomach. And not just any full stomach; no, one full of healthy food.

"Eat your fruits and veggies" may be one of the most overused phrases ever, but even that doesn't dim its truthiness. While this is true all the time, during times of stress it is even more true. When you're stressed, your body produces high levels of adrenaline. While adrenaline is great as a short-term solution (such as if you're being chased by a pack of rabid wolves), too much of it over a long period of time decreases your bodies ability to properly respond to real emotional and physical threats. It also leads to irritability, muscular tension and our favourite: inability to concentrate.

While solutions such as minimizing procrastination and getting enough sleep are easier said than done, changing your diet even just a bit might help. For example, excess tiredness, paleness and lethargy might be due to something as simple as an iron deficiency. According to the U.K Food Standards Agency, "young women should be having 14.8 milligrams (mg) iron a day (men need 8.7mg a day)." Foods high in iron include red meat and dark, leafy vegetables like kale and broccoli. You can also chomp on nuts or lentils.

Another manifestation of the effects of stress occurs in simply not eating enough. When you deprive your body of the fuel it needs for energy, the first thing to suffer is often your creativity and concentration. That is why mum always used to tell you to eat a good breakfast before going to write an exam. Lack of food can also lead to an immune deficiency, which is why students most often get run-down and, consequently, sick during the end of semester.

Besides, when you're hungry you get grumpy. And with everyone else on a short fuse these days, it's best not to try anyone's patience...

While on a tight budget, it can be difficult to eat well. However, saving a few extra dollars and buying a bunch of spinach and tin of beans instead of pizza can be especially helpful during this time when mental alertness and concentration is everything. Taking a few extra moments in your busy schedule to whip yourself something up can help - and often be way cheaper than picking up ready-made foods. Some other stress helpers are:

Getting enough water.
This one has no money excuse, mainly a time one. "When you're dehydrated, you feel more run-down and react more negatively to stress," says Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., author of The 90/10 Weight Loss Plan and according to a June 2002 article appearing in Men's Fitness Magazine. You can also become dizzy, lethargic and naseous from lack of water. This doesn't help with studying at all.

Blueberries (Also Kidney & Pinto Beans, Cranberries, Blackberries, Cooked Artichokes)
Really, any antioxidant-rich foods are especially great at this time. Antioxidants protect your health by preventing and repairing damage caused to your cells by a number of external factors. This leads to a healthier, less-sick you! Antioxidants also help prevent cancer, Parkinson's, Altzeimer's and heart disease.

Oatmeal
It's high in fibre, and according to Bauer "soluble fiber prevents volatile blood sugar, so hopefully you'll have less insanity. It also gives you better concentration and staying power and helps control headaches." I'm assuming instant oatmeal isn't as great as the on-the-stove stuff but hey, it's a start right?

Other foods which may relieve stress don't always fall under the "healthy catagory." But they can help. Chocolate contains endorphins, which can help calm you and make you happier. And Comfort Food can have charming, psychological effects too: Mac and Cheese, a roast, or just any home-cooked meal that you remember from your childhood.

While it may be difficult to scrape together enough money and wits about you to remain healthy through this stressful time, eating well is like a boxer in your corner of the ring. And if you can have a leg-up going into your biology exam, well, isn't that good enough?